1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to gardening and, more particularly, to a novel vertical planter apparatus and method whereby the planting medium for a plurality of plants is contained in a modular, vertical column having side ports and optional planting cups into which the plants are planted.
2. Related Patents Owned By Assignee
This invention is owned in common with U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,594 issue date 15 November 1994 for VERTICAL GARDENS by Kenneth Wesley Davis by reason of an assignment recorded in the United States Patent and Trademark Office on 7 November 1991 at Reel 5911 Frames 0951 to 0953.
3. The Prior Art
The practice of gardening is the most popular leisure time activity in all of the industrialized nations of the world. Gardening is enjoyed by all ages from the very young to the very old. Gardening is not only excellent exercise and a valuable source of fresh produce, but studies have shown that gardening significantly reduces stress, relieves boredom, and, in general, improves the overall physical and emotional well being of the person involved in gardening. Leisure-time gardens range in type from specialty indoor gardens for exotic flowers to large outside plots used for growing flowers as well as edible produce such as herbs, fruits, vegetables, and grains. Any garden intended for growing plants, regardless of type or location, requires a planting medium, sufficient light, and water, as well as the addition of plant nutrients from time to time depending upon the type of garden and the nature and type of plants.
Historically, gardens were planted in orderly rows, the rows being spaced sufficiently far apart to prevent crowding, accommodate mechanical weeding, and, where necessary, the administration of water through irrigation. Until the past few decades it has been possible to allocate a relatively large area of a yard to the exclusive use of a garden so that the economical use of space was not a problem. However, with the burgeoning population throughout the world, the available space for a garden is becoming more and more of a premium. Further, persons living in apartments have been essentially excluded from the beneficial enjoyment of the hobby of gardening.
Various planter systems have been proposed for the purpose of enabling a person to enjoy the benefits of a garden in the absence of sufficient space or even direct access to the soil. For example, Carlyon, Jr. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,023) discloses a display apparatus for potted plants. The display apparatus includes a vertical stack of trays spaced one above the other, each tray including a water inlet and an overflow drain.
Moffett, Jr. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,876) discloses a portable garden fabricated from a vertical cylinder of wire mesh, the wire mesh supporting a bag of soil into which the root ball of each individual plant is inserted.
Leroux (U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,847) discloses a hydroponic apparatus having a free standing base housing, a water-based nutrient feed supply, and a plurality of mutually supporting plant trays oriented in a vertical array. A timer is used to control the pump for the nutrient feed supply.
Karpisek (U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,136) discloses an assembly kit for a plurality of holders for a growth medium. At least two vertical bracket supports are used to adjustably support the holders against a vertical wall.
Harvey (U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,027) discloses a hydroponic growth system wherein a flexible tubular element is suspended from an overhead support. The tubular element contains a root permeable material with slits formed in the sidewall. A reservoir at the base of the tubular element holds a fluid nutrient, and a pump is used to circulate the fluid nutrient to the permeable material for uptake by the roots.
Garden (U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,695) discloses a container system for growing plants. A container holds a growing medium and has one or more flat but flexible wall panels. The panels have openings through which plants can be grown.
Moffett, Jr. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,359) discloses a vertically oriented garden structure having an elongated enclosure for holding a growing medium. The enclosure has a central, hollow body member of a uniform cross-sectional area and peripheral shape. A plurality of openings provide access to the planting medium supported by the enclosure.
Howgill (U.K. Patent No. 1,486,553) discloses a vertical garden having a hollow body tube with indentations at certain areas. Cup-shaped hoods are inverted into the planting material in the hollow body to keep the planting material from entering the outlet apertures.
Howgill et al (U.K. Patent Application 2,070,403) discloses a hanging plant cultivation container having a series of pockets in the sidewall of the container, the pockets receiving plants planted therein.
Casadio (European Patent Application 0,301,362) discloses a vertical plant holder having a vertical, tubular body and plurality of cups mounted thereto. A water system directs water to each cup. Each cup is adapted to contain a plant.
In view of the foregoing it would be an advancement in the art to provide an improved vertical garden apparatus and method for growing plants in the vertical orientation. Another advancement in the art would be to provide a vertical planter system constructed from modular elements. It would also be an advancement in the art to provide a vertical garden with an automated watering system controlled by at least one moisture sensor in the planting medium. An even further advancement in the art would be to provide a vertical garden with detachable, externally oriented planting cups that allow the plant to be planted in its normal, upright orientation. Such a novel apparatus and method is disclosed and claimed herein.